Under Utilized Albums

Over the years I've bought a lot of albums.  According to iTunes I have 536 albums and this doesn't count the music I've deleted nor the records, tapes and CDs that never made the move to digital.

Within this collection of albums there are a lot of memories.  I can still remember flipping through albums at the record store in the Village Street plaza in Marblehead, looking at the endless possibilities and wondering what to buy.  With a little luck and the help of a school friend who played in a band I made some good choices that have stood the test of time.

American Beauty, Physical Graffiti, Decade, Exodus.

I've also bought my share of stinkers.  I'm not immune to the fashion of the day.  I bought a Loverboy album once.  I had a couple of Fog Hat albums.  I've also bought music to impress girlfriends and I freely admit I've bought more than one album just because the artwork looked cool.

But this post wasn't inspired by albums that fit either of these extremes. 


Have you head of the band Camper Van Beethoven?  They were an alternative band from CA that released 5 album between 1985 and 1990.  I own them all.  I've listened to 4 of them repeatedly for years.  They're one of my enduring favorites. 

But then there's the outcast album, the oddly named II & III.  Before yesterday I don't think I even listened to it more than 5 times and I've owned it for close to 20 years.   I had no desire. 

Normally I force myself to listen to music I don't instantly appreciate.  I figure there's a hook buried somewhere that will reveal itself if I just give it some time.  But not with this album.  I dismissed it out of hand.  Not going to listen to it - not worth it.

Stupid me. 

I'm not going to tell you that it's now my favorite Camper Van album but it's good. I took me 20 years but I finally got it.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Running roughshod or ripshod

Axis, Axes, Axii?

Gay Cowboys